


ask me no questions (and i might not cuss you out)

by orphan_account



Category: All For The Game - Nora Sakavic
Genre: Coming Out, M/M, News Media, Post-Canon, aftg winter exchange gift, based on nora's extra content, neil cusses someone out, the cats are mentioned, vague mention of ichirou
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-03
Updated: 2017-12-03
Packaged: 2019-02-08 02:43:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,777
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12855027
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Neil's and Andrew's relationship becomes public - without their permission. It's annoying because now they have to actually deal with it. Neil gets more than a little rude when someone asks the wrong kind of question.





	ask me no questions (and i might not cuss you out)

**Author's Note:**

> My gift for [@jsteneil](http://jsteneil.tumblr.com/) for the 2017 [AFTG Winter Exchange](http://aftgexchange.tumblr.com/). :) 
> 
> I hope you like it. I'm not so great with social-media stuff, so I'm sorry that I didn't include that aspect in this fic... 
> 
> This is based entirely on [Nora's extra content post](http://korakos.tumblr.com/post/135051594002/if-neils-and-andrews-relationships-will-go) regarding the way Neil's and Andrew's relationship became public. I hope that's okay!

Andrew stands outside the stadium and burns through the first entire cigarette alone. Neil is, predictably, still inside. He can't ever seem to leave well-enough alone for one day, though Andrew figures he really shouldn't be surprised by that at this point. They've been on the same team for three years now, and while there were those two years where Andrew didn't have to deal with Neil's constant exy obsession every single day of his life - at least, not in person - there are still the four years before those to consider. Too many years, all told. It pisses him off when he thinks about it, which just makes him grind his cigarette butt into the brick wall near the door before he heads inside to fetch a certain idiot. He's hungry, goddamit. 

He doesn't have to go far before he nearly trips over Neil. He's just standing there in the hall, staring at his phone. He has some stupid expression on his face - one that's a mix of confusion and anger. Andrew stops a few inches away, reaches out slowly, and tugs the phone out of Neil's hand to get his attention. Neil snaps his head up to look at Andrew, an angry curl to his lips and that glint in his eyes with which Andrew is too damn familiar. 

"What is it?" Andrew asks, looking down at the screen. It's running a video. He catches a glimpse of himself from one of their games from this season, followed quickly by a shot of Neil making the impossible goal three games ago that was talked about for weeks. 

"...unprecedented announcement!" One of the sportscasters finishes speaking over the clip, and it cuts to three men and one woman sitting behind a curved desk. Two of the men have a distinctly uncomfortable expression, the woman is smiling, and the other man doesn't look like he cares much about whatever they're discussing. 

Andrew's gut clenches as he turns the volume up a little and tilts the phone so they can both watch as Neil steps beside him. He glances up at Neil and sees the anger in his expression solidifying. It does something to Andrew's apprehension. He has a damn good guess as to what this video is about now. Still. Neil's anger dissipates his own.

As he watches the four people on the screen discuss his and Neil's relationship, Andrew wonders who finally spilled the beans. Not many people know, though far more people know than he ever would have felt comfortable with even a few years ago. Back when he and Neil were on separate teams, they'd informed their coaches - it had been necessary when Neil wound up hospitalized from a nasty check in one of his first pro season that left him with a concussion and two broken ribs. Once Andrew moved to Denver, he informed his new coaches and was pleased that they didn't seem to have a problem with it. Andrew might have even put a little pressure on them to trade for Neil after his second year with them. The entire team knows - they figured it out themselves rather quickly - but no one had had anything negative to say. Now that it seems Andrew's and Neil's relationship has gone public, Andrew wonders if that will change.

He listens to the sportscasters debate how this news will change things for the league and himself and Neil as players. The woman is quick to dismiss the second point - they've apparently been together for years (Andrew again wonders who their source is for her to know such a thing) and makes the argument for them that they've played better together since they've been on Denver's team than they ever played apart. The segment ends shortly after that, and Andrew immediately turns Neil's phone all the way off before doing the same to his own. 

He looks at Neil and wraps his hand around the back of Neil's neck. "Tell me what's wrong."

"You know who I'm worried about," Neil mutters, taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. 

Andrew huffs. "He doesn't care. No one bothers you unless it is about money. That worry is baseless." He is fairly certain that isn't all that Neil's worried about, but he won't press unless or until it becomes a problem. "I'm starving, and your fluff balls are, too. Let's go home. We can deal with this tomorrow."

Neil offers Andrew something that is supposed to be a smile but doesn't quite resemble one. Andrew drops his hand and turns on his heel to leave. He doesn't wait for Neil - if he doesn't hurry, Andrew will leave him here. (He's done it before, and he isn't beneath doing it again.)

Truthfully, it was only a matter of time before something like this happened. Someone was bound to find out, and the media was always going to get wind of it. Andrew finds that he doesn't particularly care one way or another. It won't change anything between them, and he won't answer questions about it anyway - he never answers questions about anything - so he doesn't see any reason to care. Neil will, of course, worry about how this will impact their careers and their chances at Court, which is fucking Kevin's fault, but Andrew isn't going to baby him through this.

Neil doesn't mention it for the rest of the night, though Andrew can tell he's thinking about it. Neil doesn't sleep much that night, either. He's up at three. Andrew watches him through squinted eyes as he pulls on his running clothes. He deliberately leaves his phone on the nightstand, but Andrew doesn't bother to criticize him for it today - not when Neil will likely just stop somewhere to turn it on and look at all the responses to the news and have a fucking panic attack. He'd rather relish the next few hours of sleep. 

Neil wakes him up for the second time when he returns to their apartment. Andrew lays in bed for a while, listening as Neil murmurs to the cats as he feeds them the wet food that makes their shit stink up the litter box. For a moment, Andrew debates getting out of bed at all today. He doesn't particularly want to. He knows that he'll have to deal with people shoving microphones in his face before and after the game tonight. It's almost enough for him to call up his coach and pretend to be sick. Unfortunately for him, Neil comes into the room and smiles a little and tells him there are pastries in the kitchen. Fortunately for their team, Andrew decides that Neil's little ritual of bringing home his favorite pastries from the bakery around the corner (only on game days) is just enough to get him out of bed. So he shoves the blanket and sheet away and climbs out of bed and ignores Neil as he always does until after Neil doesn't stink of sweat before he deigns to acknowledge his existence. 

He gives King and Sir each a small nibble of the cream cheese bits of one of the pastries (no chocolate for them, no matter how much they beg) as he eats his way through a chocolate turnover and a chocolate danish. Neil emerges from his shower just as Andrew starts on the chocolate muffin. Neil eats half of the cherry turnover he got for himself. 

The day continues mostly like normal. Neither one of them turns on the television or their phones. They head to the stadium for the light morning practice at seven, and Andrew silently prepares himself to deal with the fallout from this latest bout of media idiocy. 

Their coaches don't allow the previous day's announcement to get in the way of practice, at least, and since four members of the starting line are ex-Ravens, they don't let it interfere, either. Andrew gets through the practice in one piece and with his sanity still surprisingly intact - he's waiting for the one game or practice when he finally snaps, honestly - and then it's time for the cooldown and showers. 

"Josten, Minyard," Coach Fordham says once everyone has gathered in the lounge. "I'm sure you've seen the news. How would you like to deal with this?"

Andrew shrugs. He doesn't care. Beside him, Neil bristles. Naturally.

"I don't want to answer any questions," Neil says. His tone is one of finality, and Andrew wonders who will be the first to challenge him and get a good, full dose of Neil's foul fucking temper. It will be mildly amusing, at least.

"Will you confirm or deny the story?" Coach Nakamura asks. 

Neil shrugs. "Seems like they've confirmed it themselves." Several of their teammates laugh. Andrew just rolls his eyes. Neil looks at Andrew. In Russian, he asks, "What do you want to do?"

"Confirm it and let them rot with the rest of their questions," Andrew says with a lazy shrug. He's antagonistic at heart, after all. 

Neil smirks a little and turns his attention back to their coaches. "We'll confirm it, but we won't answer any other questions."

"Fair warning," Coach Fordham says as he rubs at one of his temples - he's always doing that when it comes to dealing with Neil. Andrew can sympathize. "There will be a lot of questions."

"Then I reserve the right to cuss them all out and ruin any sound bites." Neil shrugs and leans back as he crosses his arms over his chest. Fordham sighs, but their teammates laugh again.

"Well," Rebecca, the team's PR lady says, "the team is going to make a public announcement of support for the two of you. Just a heads up. I'll field as many questions on this topic as I can for you two, but I won't make any promises."

"I know how the media is," Neil says darkly. Oh, yes he does. He and Neil both have dealt with plenty of bad press due to issues with their past. A few assholes manage to sneak into nearly every press event the team forces them to attend. "I still don't want to make it easy for them."

"Go for it," Nakamura says with a shrug. "Just not on live tv, please." Neil nods his concession to that.

Andrew rolls his eyes. "Can we go?" 

"Dismissed," Fordham says, waving his hand at them. "Get out, all of you. I need a fucking drink." The team laughs again, and Nakamura even cracks a thin smile. 

Andrew leaves with Neil, and they head back to their apartment until it's time for the game. Neil sighs as he turns his phone on and watches the notifications explode. He doesn't deal with any of it, just clears it all away. He responds to the Foxes, but those are the only ones worthy of a reply anyhow. Their response had mostly been shock at the media getting the information in the first place. Andrew sends only one message, to Kevin, telling him to fuck off after Kevin starts in on his bullshit about things being so much more difficult for them now. 

Game time comes, they play, Neil gets himself yellow-carded twice - and nearly gets a red card - but they win by a ridiculous ten-point gap. Neil's aggression is leaking out all over the court, though. It nearly causes a brawl during the post-game pleasantries between the teams. Andrew bullies his way to Neil's side as they walk off the court. He almost expects Neil to try to punch a reporter. Not that Andrew would complain, certainly, but he doesn't want to deal with paying Neil's bail, either.

"Josten! Josten!" One reporter with a cameraman behind her shoves her way to the front of the group that swarms them. She holds her mic out to him. "Care to confirm the story about yours and Andrew Minyard's relationship?"

Neil shrugs one shoulder, his irritability thinly masked by a blank face. "It's true." He pauses for only a moment. "We aren't answering any other questions on the subject."

Another reporter shouts out, "Are you embarrassed by this public outing?"

"What?" Neil snaps. He takes a breath when Andrew grips the back of his arm. "Are any of you live?" They all indicate that they aren't. Neil smirks. "No, I'm not fucking embarrassed because it's nothing to be goddamn embarrassed about, you ignorant asshat. I don't give two shits what you bigoted fuckheads think about Andrew and me. We aren't going to fucking talk about any of this shit because it isn't anyone else's goddamn business!" Neil flips them all off and turns on his heel to stomp away. 

Andrew catches the woman who asked the first question grinning and trying to hide her laughter as most of the others look stunned into uncomfortable silence. A lot of them turn to their cameras and quickly try to summarize what Neil just said. Andrew follows Neil to the locker room. He figures if there ever comes a time when they are forced to address anything, then he will request that woman in particular. He can figure out who she is easily enough. 

Their post-game meeting with the coaches goes about as well as expected. Rebecca looks like she's about to have an aneurysm after dealing with the press fallout from Neil's little rant. Their coaches are proud of them for winning but equally done with Neil's shit. Andrew just wants to go back home and eat the pint of ice cream that's waiting for him while he watches stupid game shows with Neil. 

As they leave the stadium, Andrew grinds to a halt. Neil stops behind him just before he runs into Andrew's back. The woman from earlier is standing out there. Her cameraman is with her, but all of their equipment has vanished. Andrew takes out his pack of cigarettes and approaches them slowly, Neil at his side.

She grins when she spots them. "Off the record, I did have a couple more questions." She holds up both hands. "Not about your relationship!"

"Then what are they about?" Neil asks warily. He takes the cigarette Andrew offers him and takes a real hit on it for once.

"Queer players everywhere are going to look up to the pair of you now," the woman says. "I was wondering if you had anything you wanted to say to them." 

Neil looks surprised and uncomfortable. Andrew huffs. "Not right now. We'll think of something," he says. The woman grins over at Andrew and nods. She reaches into her pocket and pulls out a business card. Andrew takes it, reads it, then gives it to Neil, who carelessly puts it in his pocket. It will most likely end up a crumbly mess in the washer, but that's fine - Andrew will remember. 

"Perfect," Kelsey says. "My other question is more of an offer rather than a question." She shrugs. "I know a lot of people can be insensitive and intrusive when it comes to players and their lives and relationships. I wanted to offer myself as a potential candidate in case you ever decided to do a press conference of some sort. Not about the details of your relationship. You made that clear." She laughs. "But, like when you decide to make that statement or if you decide to start becoming all philanthropic towards some underprivileged queer exy kids. I can run an interview with you. I'll prepare at least most of the questions beforehand and let you review them, and I promise to stay out of your personal lives." 

Neil blinks in surprise at this. Andrew takes up his sudden lack of a tongue and answers again. "Yes. We'll call you if we decide to do that." 

"Sounds great!" Kelsey doesn't even try to hold out her hand for them to shake, so she must know a thing or two about them already. "You have my number. Just give me a call if you ever need anything when it comes to media shit." She laughs a little, gives them a small wave, and she and her cameraman leave. 

Neil looks at Andrew. "That was...weird." Andrew just shrugs. "I wonder if she could find out who told those other people about us in the first place."

"Couldn't hurt to ask," Andrew says dryly. He shrugs and pulls his keys out of his pocket. They walk over to the nearly brand new Alfa Romeo Andrew decided to get himself over the summer and climb in. "No more media shit this weekend. I'm not dealing with it."

"Deal," Neil says with a small smile. Andrew rolls his eyes, but he does allow Neil a kiss.


End file.
